Maura Pierlot

Where were you born?

I was born in the Bronx, New York City, where I learned street smarts, the beauty of diversity and the art of survival at an early age.

What other jobs have you had?

I was the Ethicist for the first state bioethics commission in the US, and a writer/producer of medical education videos for doctors. In Canberra, I ran a successful marketing company (focusing on women’s and health issues) and, with my partner, a boutique real estate agency. I was the Editor of Australian Medicine, the national medical-political news magazine of the Australian Medical Association. I’m the mother of three wonderful children, now in their early-mid-twenties and, more recently, I’m an avocado and walnut grower in south coast NSW.

What themes are recurring in your work?

In recent years, I have been writing mainly in the mental health and wellbeing space. My work typically has an existential bent (perhaps not surprising, with a PhD in philosophy), interrogating issues like identity, belonging, grief and loss. My children’s books promote a growth mindset, empowering young readers to explore who they are, what they mean to each other and how they can make a difference in the world.

What have been the highlights of your career?

Getting my PhD (philosophy); growing our businesses while raising a young family; ‘reinventing’ myself (and reconnecting to my creative self) as an author, playwright and filmmaker; receiving numerous writing awards, fellowships and residency opportunities. I’m very proud of my recent (writing) work in the area of youth mental health, Fragments (stage play, hybrid YA novella, award-winning web series and now feature-length anthology).

Where have your works been published?

My writing has been published in academic and literary journals, short story anthologies, and school and news magazines in Australia. My three picture books have been published in Australia. Fragments (YA fiction) is available worldwide.

What are you passionate about?

I’m passionate about big ideas (philosophy and ethics), about equipping children with tools to work through life’s many challenges, and about training tomorrow’s thinkers to communicate, reason and collaborate in a clear and meaningful way. Sounds ambitious, I know!

Haven’t I seen you before?

If you’re in Canberra, you may see me dropping books on benches each week for The Book Bench Project, a community initiative I started during lockdown. Or you may find me on Instagram, where I document my creative journey, or visiting schools online and in person to share my work.

Anything else you’d like to share with us?

For students (ages 12+), families and educators: You can view Fragments (youth mental health themes) on the Big Ideas Press YouTube channel: http://bit.ly/FragmentsFeature (feature-length) or https://bit.ly/BigIdeasPressFragmentsPlaylist (web series).